You may have noticed that the Better Than Broadway site hasn’t been showing many theatre events recently.  Unfortunately, we had to take a little hiatus from the site after October 2007.  Fortunately, Better Than Broadway is now being updated again.  We’ve got tons of new community and professional theatre shows in the system now.  We’re still a bit behind on data entry.  So, if your favorite venue doesn’t have anything listed, we’ll get to it really soon.  We may have slacked off for a little while, but once again, Better Than Broadway is your best source for theater listings in the Dallas and Fort Worth area.

You’ll also be glad to hear we’ll be working on more reviews for this year as well.  In addition to the Better Than Broadway staff, we’ll try to get the famous Kathryn Wisdom to see a few more shows this season.

Finally, we’ve got some exciting news.  We are hard at work expanding the Better Than Broadway coverage area.  We’re looking to open in Chicago by the middle of the year.  Why cover theatre listings in Chicago?  Well, we need to make a bigger effort at getting Better Than Broadway some national attention in order to increase our subscriber base.  Chicago has a very lively professional theatre community and will be a great place for us to make theatre information more accessible.  We’re really looking forward to expanding there and possibly selling tickets to the live shows directly from our site.

This is a bit off topic, but …. I work for a Project Management Training, Project Management Services, and Project Management Consulting company. We are called True Solutions Inc (TSI). Our primary function is to provide online, classroom, and self study project management training to people trying to get their PMI certification. We offer classes for the PMP exam, CAPM exam, and PgMP exam.

We have many PMP exam prep courses to choose from. In fact, we are just launching a new Online PMP Exam Prep course that will allow our students to prepare for their PMP exam online from anywhere they can get an internet connection. The course teaches the principles from PMI’s Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide (Version 3). After studying for the PMP exam with our course, the student should be prepared to pass their Project Management Professional exam.

We also have many CAPM exam exam prep courses. Passing the Certified Associate in Project Management exam would be quite difficult without the information we provide in our courses. We have several classroom courses scheduled throughout the country. Most of our CAPM exam prep courses are held in Dallas and Atlanta. Of course, we also offer CAPM exam prep self study courses for those not able to attend our classroom training.

In addition to the training, we also sell project management templates and process posters. The project management templates are a great aid to project managers that don’t have time to create these templates on their own. The project management process posters make it easy to see the flow of all the processes described in the PMBOK guide.

Gaining your PMP certification or CAPM certification can be quite difficult. However, with the high quality project management training classes and products offered by TSI, you’re sure to pass your exams!

Better Than Broadway’s featured show for Fort Worth this week is Honk Jr..  Honk Jr. is being produced at the Creative Arts Theatre and School in Arlington.

Based on Hans Christian Andersen’s "The Ugly Duckling", “Honk!” tells the story of an odd looking baby duck, Ugly, and his quest to find his mother. Soon after Ugly is born, he is wisked away by a wiley Cat. Eventually, Ugly manages to escape but has no idea how to return home. Along his way, he encounters a beautiful swan, Penny, tangled in a fishing line. After saving her, the two birds fall in love. However, she must return to her flock and fly south for the winter. Eventually, Ugly’s mother finds him frozen in snow. Luckily, her warm tears manage to thaw him out and he comes back to life – as a handsome swan! Soon, Ugly is reunited with Penny and two swans decide to live the rest of their days in the same pond as Ugly’s loyal mother.

Show times and ticket details are available on Better Than Broadway.

Better Than Broadway - Fort Worth’s Theatre Guide

An Evening with Betty Buckley is Better Than Broadway’s Featured Event for Fort Worth this week. The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra and Miss Buckley are sure to be great entertainment.

Tony Award-winning actress Betty Buckley brought Grizabella to life in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats, and her extraordinary performance remains unrivaled. Don’t miss her live in concert with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra as she entertains and enthralls with her unique interpretations of Broadway’s favorite melodies. This one-night only event takes place at 8 p.m. Sept. 29 at Bass Performance Hall.

Show times and ticket details are available on Better Than Broadway.

Better Than Broadway - Fort Worth’s Theatre Guide

Better Than Broadway is featuring Brighton Beach Memoirs this week for the Dallas area. Brighton Beach Memoirs is present by the Kaufman County Civic Theatre in Terrell Texas. KCCT has been bringing high quality theater shows to Terrell since 1974.

Brighton Beach Memoirs was written by Neil Simon. In this play, "America’s most prolific comic playwright hilariously recalls his Depression era youth in this bittersweet autobiographical comedy."

The coming-of-age comedy is based on Simon’s memories of growing up in the Brighton Beach neighborhood of Brooklyn. KCCT gives the play a “PG-13” rating due to some mild adult language and subject matter which might not be suitable for younger audiences.

The playwright’s alter ego, Eugene Morris Jerome, is played by Marshall McKinney. Other members of the Jerome family are played by Abel Flores, Emily Hunt, Rachael Bower, Kay Hinds, Lonny Schonfeld and Rachael Kucera. The Director is Marty Scott.

Show times and ticket details are available on Better Than Broadway.

Don’t miss this great theater production by Kaufman County Civic Theatre.

Better Than Broadway - Your Dallas Area Theater Guide

Occasionally, Better Than Broadway likes to run a promotion or two. About a week ago, we mistakenly posted an entry in the Frisco Online forum that promoted our website. I didn’t mean to violate their terms of service, I was just excited about offering some free theater tickets to Frisco area residents. In any case, our posting was removed and rightly so. Sorry about that Frisco Online!

Anyway, several of the forum members saw our post and replied for a chance for free theater tickets for two. The first free theater ticket winners chose to see The Great Russian Nutcracker at the The Majestic Theatre in Dallas, TX. These tickets were only for sale via TicketMaster. When I bought the tickets via the phone, I had to wait on hold forever. After finally getting through, I had the hardest time explaining to the person that Better Than Broadway was buying the theater tickets for someone else. I finally managed to convince them to arrange this. Then, I asked for my receipt. You would have thought I’d asked for the blue prints for a Boeing 747. They had no idea how to get them to me. In this day and age, you’d think that emailing the receipt for an online theater ticket purchase wouldn’t be that difficult. You’d be wrong. I didn’t get a receipt. I doubt I will. I just hope that the lucky couple that won these tickets actually has something to pick up at Will Call.

As if that wasn’t enough, another couple asked for free tickets to see The Lion King at The Musicall Hall at Fair Park in Dallas, TX. These tickets were also available only through TicketMaster. I called to order them tonight. Wow! What a mess. I waded through their interminable voice response system. “Say the name of the show…” “Say the state the show is in….” On and on and on. Finally, the system deduced that I wanted tickets for The Lion King. Of course, I couldn’t buy the tickets directly via the voice response system because I needed to have them put in someone else’s name. Eventually, I had the option of requesting to speak to a customer service representative.

Successfully waiting the 5 minutes to speak to said agent without getting hung up on would normally be a good thing. In this case, I might have been better off convincing the non-artificially intelligent computer to put the theater tickets in someone else’s name. The representative I got was unprofessional, confused, and utterly inept at ticket sales or phone support. His phone’s microphone kept screeching at me and overriding just about everything we said. The agent kept attempting to get rid of the noise, only to leave me on hold for many long seconds and come back to ask if the noise level were better. It was not. Eventually, we got through to getting two seats reserved and then attempted to purchase them. Again, I explained I needed the theater tickets in someone else’s name. He was lost for words. It was as if no one had ever thought to buy tickets for a different person. Surely this can’t be so uncommon?

Finally, despite my concerns that this really wasn’t TicketMaster I was speaking to (could it be a scam?), I placed the order and was told the tickets would be available at “Alternate Will Call”. When I asked to get a receipt or something emailed to me, I was put on hold again. Apparently, I am the only person that ever requested a receipt from them before. Before my agent ever came back, I got the dreaded “clunk… buzz…” sound of a disconnected call. Great! That call was 34 minutes long.

I had to leave for a while and came back to the phone later in the evening to figure out if my tickets actually got purchased. Again, I went through some interminable voice response prompts and eventually spoke to an agent. Sure enough, my tickets had not been properly reserved for the name of the contest winner. I had to get that taken care of. Amazingly, this call was ONLY 9 minutes.

Again, I am hoping that my theater ticket winners don’t have as much trouble as I did when they try to claim the tickets. I am just amazed that the largest ticket seller in the country has such pathetic service. Surely TicketMaster has been selling theater, concert, et al. tickets long enough to have this down pat. Right? Am I being unreasonable in expecting better service? Let me know what you think.

I just hope that the theatre community at large is not beholden to a single ticket outlet to keep their theatre’s full!

Better Than Broadway - Your Guide to Theater!

Kathryn got a chance to see Over the River and Through the Woods this weekend at The Pocket Sandwich Theatre.  It seems she really liked this show.  Just be prepared for a non-formal setting if you drop in for a visit!

“Over the River and Through the Woods”

By Joe DiPietro
The Pocket Sandwich Theatre is a fun venue; it is a place to go to eat, drink and have all around merriment.  What it isn’t set up for is a play, a real play, comedy, drama, or musical.   Let me clarify that, the audiences who patronize this theatre are not expecting to see a real play; they are expecting “popcorn” and inter-active melodramas.  Do not get me wrong, I love a kooky crazy melodrama.  But, this play is not of that caliber, some of the fellow audience members didn’t know this coming in; and it was not funny.   Now “Over the River and Through the Woods” is funny, very funny; but serious and thought provoking, too.   This is an incredibly literate, honest and so human look at the painfully fun world of family dynamics.  With a script this great only a real disaster could have made this play fail.  No disaster!

I was lucky enough to be seated beside the director when I was shown to my seat; they didn’t know I was there to review the play; and I didn’t know at first she was the director.  When I began to hear her tell the lady on the other side about the furniture on the set on being exactly where it should be; I thought best to interrupt her and introduce myself.  She called me a critic; and I corrected her immediately; I review, I love the theatre, I love plays, I am not here to criticize anyone.  I just want to still be in love with the theatre when I leave.  That is how I start, I walk in and I want to love what you do, I want to think about what I’ve just experienced for the rest of the evening and part of the next day, too.  I am still in love today.  Good show, great script, wonderful acting, good directing, okay set, but it was really just background.  Over all this is a winner, memorable, and really worth the trip.

Shane Beeson, (Nick) the lead character in the quirky growing up is hard to do, its time to leave home kind of story.  He is fantastic, funny, and emotional.  He also carries the story in his face and on his shoulders very well.  The four grandparents are fun, crazy and way over the top; but my grandmother was crazier than all of them so, I gave them a plus for reality.  The only week link was on this night we saw the understudy for the Caitlyn role, the blind date Nick is being set up with; she wasn’t bad, but in this group she would have had to get naked to get attention. But, being a nice PG type play, that wasn’t going to happen, so she was a little out voiced, out presented.
This play runs one more week, go see it, you will love this play; and Shane is outstanding.  Beautifully done, thank you for this great theatrical experience. Oh, yes and I will be back in a couple of weeks to throw popcorn at “Jack the Ripper”.  Can’t wait.

Kathryn Wisdom

Better Than Broadway - Your Guide to Theatre 

Kathryn is out with another theatre review for Better Than Broadway. This time, she critiques “Sweet Charity“, part of the Dallas Summer Musicals.

What is the difference between professional theatre and community theatre?

The appearance and size of the venue, the price of the ticket, how you park your car, and of course maybe an occasional semi-famous actor or two.

I had the privilege of attending the Thursday afternoon matinee of “Sweet Charity” at the Dallas Summer Musicals. The construction around the fair grounds is just terrible; a real deterrent for entertainment; but a boon for the valet parkers; it was about the only way to get into a parking lot. Hope this is corrected before the State Fair opens, but does Dallas really work that fast? Some of it was not the city’s fault; what is it with some people thinking they can drive the wrong way on a one way street, go through red lights, and pull in front of others who are waiting patiently all because they have tickets to the theatre. Dallas is reeking with “me first” attitude these days. So, sad they were going to see a play about a kind, niave, giving young woman; art did not reflect life today.

Enough with the environment and to the real story; the play. This play is one of the standards, familiar and comfortable like old shoes. But with all great musicals the story is as relevant today as it was in 1966. Dallas’ own Paige Davis is good casting as Charity Hope Valentine; she is funny, vibrant and adolescent for a woman of the world. We fall in love with her hope, her dreams and we want her to get her desires; but as in life reality isn’t always so pretty. Ms. Davis’ voice is polished and powerful for the belting songs, and her dance skills are adequate. Guy Adkins portrayal of Oscar Lindquist is physically hysterical; he moves and flops like the best comics; but please work on the singing. Not bad; but not good. The supporting cast is a great ensemble; especially Bridget Berger (Nickie) and Kisha Howard (Helene) as Charity’s co-workers and “friends”.
Hands down the best and most admirable part of the show is the choreography. The dancing at “Club Pompeii” was just out of this world original and stunning. Thanks Mr. Cilento for you choreography. The brass band dance number was also well timed and very enjoyable. The music didn’t really deviate from the original score, but that is nice, sometimes it is nice to know all the songs before you go; and one anticipates the smiles and memories.

Overall it was a nice day at the theatre; a great walk down memory lane and you leave the parking lot humming and not feeling as bad as the storyline might leave you. Because we know “Sweet Charity” never gives up and it just keeps on coming back, just like its main character. Thanks for a job well done, and a really good show.

Kathryn Kay Wisdom

Better Than Broadway - Dallas’ Best Theatre Guide

Kathryn is at it again.  She has another great theatre review on Better Than Broadway about another great performance at Dallas Children’s Theatre.

There isn’t much I can say about this play, other than this is one of the most professional, well written, well performed, well staged plays I have seen in a long time. Certainly not what one expects at local community theater. The ensemble has been touring for six months, in fifty-eight cities, and they performed as fresh as if it were opening night.

The slavery theme can cause one to run the other direction when touched upon in art and theater; but James DaVita has penned a moving and educational script. The musical selection and arrangements by Josh Schmidt and Sheri Panell are the meat of the entire show. The slave spirituals are just stunning and “holy” revealing in themselves. The vocals talents of the Ensemble were so fine tuned I just held my breathe in awe. The lead actors, Rhianna Mack, Octavia Thomas, Cedric Neal, and Rick Spivey, not only portrayed fully developed characters, but their vocals during the musical interludes will stop you in your tracks. Amazing!

I highly recommend this play for all High School and College History Classes and students in general, wanting to learn more about the Underground Railroad. The play gives an honest and real picture of slavery, during a difficult and shameful time in our country. I asked Ms. Mack (Lida) how she prepared herself for this role; she told me they spent some time at the underground rail historical site in Tennessee, she said that was a very moving experience for her.

Ms. Mack is a native Louisianan, and being southern, I am sure she was brought up with the terrible lack of information most of our youth get about the slavery issues in America. But, she handled her role as Lida, with power and truth. This play is about Lida a young slave girl, who has to flee her master for fear of her life, and how she makes her way to the beloved idea of freedom. Freedom is taken for granted so much these days by all of us, this is a fantastic reminder of how beautiful it is and how we can lose it if not protected or doled out equally.

Thank you for an excellent night at the theater.

Kathryn Wisdom

Dallas Children’s Theater
5938 Skillman
Dallas, TX 75231
(214) 978-0110

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Wendi R W McGowan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PrimeDemographics,Inc.

owner, re:d, Regarding Dallas Media

214 212 4055

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“Theatre That’s Thrilling… Better Than Broadway”

Watch the web for the latest performances near you!

May 15, 2007 (Dallas, TX) There’s more great theatre in your community than you ever knew, but how do you find it when the newspaper just lists the shows at major performance halls and community magazines just list venues in that little town? Calendee, LLC is proud to announce the launch of their newest consumer web site, Better Than Broadway.

Updated continuously with all of the performance information for over 90 different live theatre venues in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, the information is presented on the Internet in an easy to use, day-timer format. Better Than Broadway makes it simple to find a show at a moment’s notice or to plan an evening of theatre several weeks in advance. Users can choose to see all the shows for a particular metro area (such as Dallas or Fort Worth) or select just those shows available in their own community (such as Plano, Hurst, or Rockwall).

“The amount of live theatre performances in the DFW area is truly surprising,” said Justin Noel, owner of Calendee, LLC and the creator of the Better Than Broadway website. “With more than 90 venues and as many as 1500 performances scheduled, our users could watch a different play each week,” he continued, “and we have plans to expand to other major cities in the very near future. Before Better Than Broadway, there was no single source of information for all the shows being produced in our communities.”

Better Than Broadway is a free service to both users and the theatre community who lists performances and advertising space is available on the web site for those businesses who try to reach the local theatre audience. Billed as “the best local theatre calendar,” the launch of this site will make finding theatre information easier and more fun.

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Calendee, LLC was formed in April of 2006 as a privately owned company. Calendee’s goal has been to use the Internet to inform the public about the vast number of entertainment opportunities available locally. Calendee is striving to make Better Than Broadway the number one theatre information source for the Dallas/ Fort Worth area. Better Than Broadway keeps track of all current and upcoming theatre productions for the entire Dallas/Fort Worth area. Maintaining a database of every venue that offers live theatre show, Better Than Broadway is your one-stop source for all the shows in town. www.betterthanbroadway.com

re:d, Regarding Dallas, is the only online, print, and event source that covers the arts, community involvement, social happenings, career development and more in Metro Dallas. re:d is circulated to those that live, work, play, and visit the heart of Dallas—Downtown, Uptown, Fair Park, Deep Ellum, Bishop Arts, Turtle Creek, Cedars/Southside, Lakewood, Greenville, Knox Henderson and Mockingbird. Through business venues, events, and direct mail, we reach our audience of over 10,000 economically active individuals who relish in the latest fashions, gadgets, gifts, dining,
and spirits. www.redmagonline.com